Brave Face
by moviefreak9940
Summary: After being rushed to the hospital, Abby and the team learn of something that could change her life forever...and for the worse. McAbby, but everyone's there too.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: NCIS or any character is not mine. Tho, it would be nice to keep McGee in my back pocket )

Spoilers: None

A/N: This is McAbby, but everyone's involved too. Pre-Twilight, so Kate is alive and well. I have several chapers written already and will post a new chapter each night, but when I get to the point where I am actaully writing a bit each night, things will slow down. Having two jobs does that, so please bear with me when the time comes. Enjoy!

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It was 0530 hours Thursday morning when Abby Sciuto woke with a start to her alarm clock blaring. She groaned sleepily as she rolled over and shut off the offensive machine. She sat up yawning, and winced slightly. She had a horrible night of sleep...like so many nights the past 2 weeks. This was due to a constant dull, aching pain on her right side. She was usually able to work thru it down at NCIS Headquarters, but at night, she had no distractions and therefore, it kept her awake.

It was 0630 by the time she walked through the doors of her forensics lab, Caf-Pow in hand, and ready to start her day. She immeditately went to her medicine cabinent and took four tablets of Ibuprofen, hoping to alleivate her discomfort enough to get through the majority of her day without incident. She didn't stop to think about the possible ramifications of the combination of pain medication and the massive amount of caffiene she was about to consume, but she was at a point to where she didn't really care.

She was so behind on her workload, and it was killing her that she was. The constant pain in her side had caused many temporary breaks in her workload,and now all that she could do was try to catch up as much as possible. And Gibbs wasn't helping things by his incessant yelling about it. She prepared her workspace...Caf-Pow on her left side and the samples on her right...and continued her work.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the bullpen, Special Agents McGee and DiNozzo were already at their desks, sifting throught various file folders and papers relating to past cases. They were soon joined by their female counterpart, Special Agent Kate Todd.

"Kate, you're looking as beautiful as always," DiNozzo said, throwing her his most charming smile.

She glanced sharply at him. "What do you want, Tony?"

"Can't I just compliment my co-worker?" Tony asked, in feigned shock.

"No, Tony, you never can."

"Never can what?" they all heard Gibbs say as he rounded the corner from the elevator to the bullpen.

"Nothing Boss," DiNozzo said.

"Has Abby finished those samples yet?" Gibbs asked, sitting down and taking a long drink from his coffee.

"Not yet Boss, but I'll go check," McGee said, standing up. Tony and Kate exchanged a quick, knowing smile. McGee would take any opportunity to go visit Abby,

He made his way down into the forensics lab. He couldnt help but grin when he could begin to hear the driving tunes of her death metal music three floors away. The elevator doors opened and he was assaulted with the full blast of the unintelligable screaming she called "music". He saw her hunched over her work station, her back to him, and he smiled.

"Stop staring at my butt, McGee, and tell me what's up," Abby said, grinning from ear to ear. She always seemed to know when her geek was in the room

McGee faltered. "Oh, uh...right. Sorry. Gibbs wants to know if you've got that information for him."

"I'm almost done," she said, turning down her stereo and then turning to face him. "It'll just take me however long it takes for me to get to the printer."

McGee chuckled softly. Abby turned away to head to the printer, but she stopped suddenly and audibly winced in pain.

"Abby?" McGee said worriedly, moving toward her. "Are you okay? What's wrong?

She waved him off saying, "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just had this pain in my side for the past couple weeks. It's been murder on my sleeping at night. It's no big deal."

"Have you talked to Ducky about this?"

"Are you kidding? I'm not going to bother Ducky with something like..." she gasped as her right side exploded in pain. She cried out loudly and collasped to the ground, clutching her side.

McGee was at her side in an instant. "Abby? What's wrong? Abby!" he cried. She was writhing in pain, unable to speak exept to cry out in pain.

"Oh, God, Abby. Help! HELP!" McGee screamed, desperate to get anyone's attention.

The elevator door dinged open and Gibbs walked out, bent on riding McGee and Abby's ass on why he didn't have the information he needed. However, upon hearing McGee's screams for help, he ran to the lab, pistol drawn, to see his forensics analyst screaming in agony and a very terrified McGee.

"What happened!" he cried, holstering his weapon.

"I don't know boss, she just fell down. She was saying her side was hurting her and then he just went down!" McGee cried.

Tears streaming from her eyes, Abby cried aloud again as another wave of searing pain swept over her.

"Call an ambulance McGee, I'll stay with her."

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see chapter one

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McGee sat hunched over in the hospital waiting room, rocking back and forth, and wringing his hands nervously. His mind was racing. What had happened to his Abby?_**His**_ Abby. The doctor's preliminary diagnosis was appendicitus, but there were taking a full examination to find a definitive answer.

"McGee," he heard Gibbs say. McGee looked up to see his boss walking toward him with two large cups of coffee. Gibbs handed him one of the cups and then sat down in the chair next to him. "I just got off with Kate and DiNozzo."

Taking a small sip from his coffee, McGee whispered, "Thanks, Boss. Are they coming down?"

"Kate's on her way, and DiNozzo will come when he gets a chance. Any word on Abs?"

McGee shook his head. "They think its appendicitus, but they're doing more tests." He sighed deeply, taking another drink.

Gibbs looked over at his young agent who was visibly shaken and scared. Gibbs placed a reassuring hand on McGee's shoulder and said, "She's going to be okay, Tim. If it is, it'll just be a short operation, and she'll be as good as new."

McGee startled a bit upon hearing his boss use his first name. Only Kate and Abby called him Tim. _Abby..._

They fell into silence for quite a while, both taking tiny sips from their cups of coffee. _She'll be okay. She'll be good as new._ Gibb's words of encouragement echoed in his mind, but a terrifying thought broke through.

"Boss," McGee said, staring at the lineolium floor. "What if it's something else? Something worse?"

Before Gibbs could answer, both men heard Kate running down the hall toward them.

"Where is she? What's going on?" She asked as she got to them. Poor Kate looked so frightened. Of course, it was understandable. Abby was her best friend, after all.

"We haven't heard anything yet, Kate," McGee said. "They're still working on her."

Approximately 10 minutes after Kate ran in, Tony arrived. However, the three of them were still unable to give any more information on Abby's condition other than "they're still working on her". They sat together for at least a half hour. McGee had been asked to recount what happened in the lab several times, and he was quite frankly sick of it. He just wanted to know what was wrong with her.

Gibbs knew that being here was important to his team and for Abby's sake, but work still needed to be done. They had at least 2 unsolved cases, so he spent some of the time allocating jobs to his team. McGee only paid attention when he heard his name come up. He'd get the notes from Tony or Kate later.

"Timothy McGee?"

The four agents' heads snapped up at the sound of his name. They saw a doctor standing in the middle of the room, looking around the room. "Timothy McGee?"

"Here, doctor!" McGee called, standing up quickly. The doctor walked over to the group, who all then stood up.

"Are all of you here for Abby Sciuto?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Kate replied.

"Okay, we have ruled out appendicitus, we are running a few more tests," the doctor said.

"Wait, you still don't know whats wrong with her?" McGee asked.

"Not as of yet," he replied calmly, "but we will know soon. She can have visitors right now, but only one at a time. I'll update you as soon as we learn something definitive."

"Thank you doctor," Gibbs said.

"Hey Probie, go on in and see her first," Tony said. "She'll want to see you."

"Okay, if we hear anything in there, I'll come tell you guys."

"Tell Abby we're all here for her!" Kate called as McGee left.

McGee followed the doctor to Abby's hospital door. He rapped softly on the door as he pushed it open, not sure of how she was going to look. He breathed a sigh of relief to see her sitting up on her hospital bed, sitting indian style, and watching TV. She looked better than she did in her lab, her color was coming back, but she still had this odd look about her. He couldn't quite place it.

When Abby saw McGee step quietly into her room, she immediately said, "Dear God,_please_ tell me you have something black for me to put on."

_That_ was it. She was a girl who liked her goth, and she was sitting in a white and beige room wearing a white paper gown with blue pinstripes. She definitely sounded as uncomfortable as she looked.

Grinning slightly at the thought, McGee said, "Nope, sorry Abs."

Her face fell. "A Caf-Pow?" she asked desperately.

McGee chuckled and shook his head.

"You're of no use to me then," Abby said, going back to looking at the TV.

McGee shrugged. "Okay then, I'll see you later Abby." He turned and walked back to the door and placed his hand on the handle.

"Get back here Timmy!" Abby said, grinning from ear to ear. McGee laughed to himself, he loved it when they played this game. He turned back to her, then crossed to her bed.

He sat on the edge of her bed and held her hand in his. "How are you doing?"

"They gave me some stuff for the pain, and I'm doing a bit better. I'm a little nervous though," she replied.

He squeezed her hand comfortingly. "There's no need to be Abs."

He leaned forward and drew her into his arms. Abby nuzzled her head the crook of his neck and sighed deeply. McGee petted her hair, and continued the embrace. He was greatful that he was able to...that she was okay.

"Don't scare me like that again," McGee whispered.

Abby giggled a little bit and replied, "I'll try not to."

They were startled by a sharp knock at her door and they broke apart. Abby's doctor walked into the room with her chart and a large envelope in his hand.

"Miss Sciuto, Agent McGee," the doctor started. There was a tone to his speech that, for some reason, set McGee on edge, "We have learned what caused your pain this morning."

As Abby and McGee listened to the doctor, Abby gasped and began to cry. Shocked, McGee held Abby as she heard her fate, with tears in his own eyes. They were disbelieving, but when the doctor showed them Abby's X-rays, there was no denying it. Abby doubled over, terrified and weeping, and all McGee could do was just hold her. The doctor told them that another test needed to be performed on Abby, and he guided her to the wheelchair in her room. McGee desperately wanted to join her, but the doctor told him to stay, that they'd be back as soon as possible. As the doctor wheeled his Abby out of the room, McGee slid down the side of the bed and collasped to the floor in shock, tears threatening to fall.

As Gibbs, Kate, and Tony sat in the waiting room anxiously, Kate gasped aloud. They all turned to see Abby, visibly crying, being wheeled away from her room. Gibbs was the first one to run to the doctor to ask what was going on, but the doctor said that Abby was needing to get to her examination done as soon as possible and to speak to McGee. Gibbs walked along with Abby for a few more feet for reassurance, and kissed the top of her head as they had to part.

"Boss, what's going on?" Tony asked, walked to meet Gibbs, who just blew past him on the way to Abby's room. Tony and Kate shared a worried look and hurriedly followed him.

The three agents burst into the room to find the Probie leaning against the bed on the floor, staring blankly into space with his face ashen.

"Tim?" Kate asked, falling to his side and grabbing his arm. "What is it? What's wrong with Abby?"

Both men squatted down to McGee's level as he replied hollowly, "It's bad news."

"What?" Both Gibbs and Tony said in unison.

McGee swallowed the large lump in his throat. "She's got a tumor"

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, sorry yall, I fixed this chapter. I have this whole story written out and I just cut and paste what I want as a chapter and I forgot to do that with this one. And, with the log-in problems on the site recently I haven't been able to do anything about it. So now, finally, I can save what's left of my literary dignity, LOL. Enjoy!

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Kate gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth, tears welling instantly. Tony's eyes widened in shock and he fell backward to the ground. Gibbs slowly sat down and clasped his hand on McGee's shoulder.

"That's what's been causing the pain in her side the past two weeks," McGee relayed. "It's in her lower intestine and it's about the size of an orange. She.." McGee faltered, a single tear falling down his cheek, "...she's getting a biopsy right now."

If there was ever a time for a man to cry, it was now. When the one you love was sick with potentially something as deadly as cancer. McGee quickly wiped away the stray tear, and Tony patted his knee in reassurance. Gibbs slowly stood back up and sat in the chair next to the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. Tony, too, stood up walked a round to the other side of the hospital bed, sitting on the end. Kate remained on the floor next to McGee, occasionally reaching out and squeezing his hand. All they could do was wait until Abby got back. They sat in silence, only broken here and there from sniffs from Kate, for what felt like an eternity until the door swung open and Abby was wheeled back into the room. When Abby gazed upon the faces of her four beloved friends, she smiled for the first time since the news was broken to her and McGee.

"My family is here," Abby said, trying desperately to sound happy, but McGee would hear the tears in her voice. She stood up from the wheelchair, and walked over to her bed, sitting down amidst her boys.

Before anyone could do or say anything to Abby, the doctor spoke, "We will get the results from your biopsy in two to three days. I want to reassure you all, that if it is cancerous, it will more than likely be at a stage where chemotherapy will be successful. If it is benign, all we will need to do is just a minor surgery to remove the tumor. We will call you when the results come in Abby."

She nodded slightly and replied, "Thanks doc."

As soon as the door was closed, Kate beat everyone to Abby--though she was easily sitting the farthest away from her--and hugged her tightly.

"Kate, I'm okay," Abby said, hugging her back. When Kate let go, Tony was next. He reached around Abby and embraced her. Abby leaned back into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. She stood up threw her arms around Gibbs' neck. He held her as a father would, kissing her on the temple.

As McGee got his embrace in, Abby said to everyone, "Guys, I'm going to be okay. Now, all of you...out. I need to change."

McGee reluctantly released her, kissed her forhead, and followed the rest of the team out into the waiting room.

Abby wobbled slightly and collapsed onto her bed. She breathed a shuddering sigh and wiped away the tears what fell down her cheeks. She shook her head roughly as if she was trying to banish the overpowering feeling of helplessness and terror from her mind.

"Come on Abby," she scolded herself. "Brave face."

Breathing a sigh of relief to be back in her normal black attire, Abby walked out of her room with an intentional bounce in her step. She could see Gibbs and the others standing around near the waiting room seats. Gibbs noticed her out of the corner of his eye and moved to her side and walked with her with hs arm around her shoulders.

"Abs, McGee is going to take you home," Gibbs told her. She snapped her head toward his and her jaw droppped.

"What? I can still work, I have so much stuff I need to do," she protested.

"It will get done in time, you need to be at home today."

Home was the last place Abby needed to be. At home, she was alone with herself, with her thoughts. Her fear. She turned to protest once again, but Gibbs threw her his famous glare. She couldn't stand up to that no matter how much she wanted to try. She sighed resignated and nodded her head.

"I call you sometime today," Kate whispered as she hugged her best friend once again.

"Me too," Tony added.

"Thanks guys," Abby replied.

She walked over to McGee, took his outstretched hand and they made their way out to the parking lot. As they walked toward McGee's car, Abby was acting like her normal self. She would swing McGee's arm and sometimes twirl herself under it as if they were dancing. He gave many a sideways glance in her direction, trying to find amusment in her antics, but his heavy heart kept it away.

"What are you doing?" McGee said sadly. Abby skipped and then leaped right in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"I'm trying to make you smile, Timmy!" Abby said, in her matter of fact tone she always had in her lab. "I'm going to be fine! Smile for me?"

"Ah, I'm sorry Abby..."

"Smile!" She said, poking him a little.

His face split into the widest, cheesiest, sarcastic grin McGee could manage. "There."

"Much better," she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

He couldn't not smile whenever she touched him. He hugged her back tightly, trying to convey his thoughts and feelings through his arms. He helped Abby into the car and he walked around to the driver's seat. They drove in silence, which was odd. McGee kept stealing glances to his right and saw Abby smiling somewhat half-heartedly while the rest of her body resonated turmoil.

Abby sighed lightly in the seat, staring out the window. A bitter struggle was occuring in her mind. Not like her usual "do I sleep or do I work" struggle that she always experienced. She wanted to be scared. She knew it sounded weird, but she did. But the obligation of remaining strong for McGee's and everyone else's sake overpowered it. Her outlook would determine how the others would see her situation. If she remained scared and worried on it to excess, the other's would lose faith in her recovery. If she remained optimistic and positive, she wouldnt have to see the look of despair on her friend's faces again when in the hospital room. She couldn't let them feel that way. So, she put on her happiest looking face and began living in the optimistc persona.

McGee drove into Abby's driveway and opened her door for her. She smiled graciously at him and skipped her way to her back door. McGee trailed behind, making observations on her. Abby was always a happy, jovial person...despite the goth. If anyone else were to watch her, she would seem normal. McGee knew her better...he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was definitely wrong.

They made their way into Abby's house via her back door, and Abby threw her things onto the couch nearest to the door. McGee closed and locked the door behind them and then turned back to her, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

On cue, her stomache grumbled. Abby looked at the clock on her wall...1:15pm. It had been several hours since her last meal...her Caf-Pow from that morning. She was very hungry indeed.

"Starved."

"Well then," McGee said, clapping his hands, "You go and lie down on your bed and I'll make something up for you."

"Bed?" Abby said, half whining.

"Yes," McGee whispered, placing a finger on her lips to silence her. "Gibbs' orders. Besides, you've got your TV and Plastic Death in your CD player, you should be set."

"Fine." Abby mumbled through her closed mouth and McGee's finger. She turned and walked back to her room.

Chuckling, McGee turned and went into her kitchen. By the looks of it, Abby was long overdue for a run to the local supermarket. He made a mental note to buy food for her on his way back here from work. He searched through her barren cabinents and found a single can of tomato soup in the back. He checked the date on it...it was still edible. He opened the can and poured it into a saucepan. As it heated, he found the reminants of a loaf of Wonder Bread and took out two pieces. He collected all the ingredients neccesary to created the world's only compliment to tomato soup...a grilled cheese sandwich. Besides, those were the only things he knew how to make.

Abby, after closing her bedroom door behind her, began to rummage through her chest of drawers looking for something comfortable to put on. She grinned and pulled out her favorite pair of pajama pants--black with white skull and crossbones- and changed into them. She then immeditely, almost on auto-pilot, to leave the room and head to her coffin, but she stopped herself. Normally, she loved to lie down in it, it was comforting in a way. However, her current circumstances and possible impending death didn't make her too keen to intentionally get into a coffin. So she turned back around, and flopped on to her bed, and clutched her plush teddy bear.

She startled slightly when there was a sudden thunk at her door.

"Um...Abby?" she heard McGee say. "Door please!"

Abby smiled to herself as she rolled back off her bed, walked to her door, and opened it to see McGee standing there with a full plate balanced on a full bowl in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Abby relieved him of the glass and grabbed a large hardcover book from the floor to use as a tray.

McGee sat on the end of Abby's bed and watched her wolf down her meal. His mind was racing.Cancer...no it was just a tumor. We havent heard anything yet. He couldn't help it, he sighed solemnly. Abby looked up, steaming spoon in midair, and scowled.

"Tim, stop it," she said sternly, replacing her spoon. "I am going to be okay."

"Yeah," he replied, running his hand through his short hair. "I know, I'm sorry."

There was an awkward silence as Abby resumed the slurping of her soup. McGee sneaked a quick glance at his watch. "Hey, are you going to be okay here today?"

"Why? You're going to be here aren't you?" she asked, letting more panic into her voice than she wanted. She really didn't want to be left alone.

"Gibbs needs me to come back to work some cases Abs. I'll come back as soon as we get off, promise," McGee replied. He walked over to her and leaning in, he kissed her softly and comfortingly. They separated and he headed for her door.

"McGee, bring my hippo home would you?"

"Sure Abs. Get some sleep," McGee smiled. She nodded in reply.

When he left, Abby sighed sadly. She placed her empty bowl and plate down on the floor, curled up under her comforter and held her bear close. Her insides were squirming. What was going to happen to her? To McGee, if the worst did happen? She stared at her wall, willing sleep to come, to help her escape her nightmarish reality. She didn't want to be alone...she really didn't want to be alone.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Hours passed, but Abby still hadn't slept. She had dozed off a couple times, sure...but it was not enough to put a dent in her weariness. It was enough, however, for the nightmares to start. Hosptials...funeral homes...a gravesite...McGee and everyone else crying. She jolted awake each time and fought back to hold in her tears. 

She rolled over to look at her clock and saw that it was only three in the afternoon. She groaned, she couldn't take much more of this. She had to do something constructive enough to take her mind away from this whole helpless situation. She rolled fully out of her bed and trudged her way to the bathroom and shut the door.

Back at NCIS, McGee sat at his computer furiously typing away. Nothing much was said between them of went on that morning. McGee would notice Gibbs massaging his temple and sighing, Kate sniffing occasionally and pausing to dab her nose with a Kleenex, and Tony, well...not being Tony. He sat hunched over with a dismal look on his face.

When they hit a lull in there detective work (they were waiting to hear something back from Ducky), Gibbs cleared his throat. "McGee, how did Abby seem when you took her home?"

McGee sighed. "I don't know, Boss. She acted like her normal self, like nothing was wrong. She kept tell me that she was going to be okay, but..." he paused, trying to think of how to describe it. "...she seemed like she didn't even believe what she was saying herself."

Gibbs sighed. "She get any rest?"

"I left her lying down on her bed. I can only assume she did."

"I doubt it," Tony said, leaning back in his rolling chair. "I doubt she slept at all."

Kate sighed sadly. "I don't think any of us will."

"At least until we find out the test results," Gibbs said, taking a drink from his fourth cup of coffee that day.

"I'm going to call her," Kate said, picking up her phone. "To see how she's doing."

"Good idea," Tony replied.

Abby heard her phone cell phone ringing from three rooms away, and she leapt off the couch where she was sitting and raced into her room and grabbed it. She looked on the caller ID, reading "NCIS" on the front. She quickly flipped it open.

"Hel-lo!" she answered in an adopted sing-songy tone.

"Hey, Abby, you're on speaker," she heard Kate say.

Then followed a loud, resounding "hey Abs" (at least, she_thought_ that's what she heard...it just sounded like a jumbled mess of sound).

"Hey guys," she replied, smiling slightly.

"Abby," Tony said. "How are you feeling?"

Abby hesitated slighly, yearing to shout, _I'M TERRIFIED!_, then lied, "Just peachy Tony. Bored to tears though."

"Why's that?" she heard McGee's distant voice.

"Because it's three-thirty in the afternoon, and I'm not rifling through AFIS, up to my elbows in test samples, or calling Gibbs 'sir'," Abby genuinely argued. She_was_ bored...and desperate to find something to do. "Can't I come down there and help?"

"No, Abs," Gibbs replied. "I want you to stay there. You need to be there."

_I need to be ANYWHERE but here,_ Abby thought bitterly. "McGee hasn't completely destroyed my lab, has he?"

She smiled as she heard a soft, yet very indignant "hey!" from under Tony's reply, "No, he's been a good Probie."

Unable to bear the charade of peace she was fronting to her friends any longer, Abby said, "I know you've got stuff to do guys. we'll talk later tonight."

"Okay Abs," Kate said. "Talk to you soon."

After hearing her boys shout their goodbye's, she flipped her phone closed and sighed. Great, she now offically had nothing to do. So, without her forensics to keep her mind occupied, she resorted to the next best thing. She trudged back to her living room sofa, fell back onto it, and turned on the tv.

Abby was distraught...so much so she felt that her head was about to explode. She was scared to death...she knew it. She could admit it, but only to herself. She heard how her team sounded when she put on her happy tone. It was a thousand percent better than at the hospital when she was upset and crying. She had to keep it up. She needed to make them believe that everything was going to be okay...even if she didn't belive it herself. She felt her bottom lip begin to quiver and tears began to well.

"No!" she screamed, beating her fist on the sofa cushion next to her. "I will not give in! I will not give up! I WILL NOT CRY!"

It was late that night when McGee came back to Abby's place carrying a sack of grocieries. He set the bag on the counter quietly, hedging his bets on whether she'd be up at eleven o'clock at night. He tiptoed down the hall and peeked through her partially open door. She was awake, sitting cross-legged on her bed in front of her laptop. Her bedroom lights were out and the shine from her computer screen cast an eerie look upon her face. It ws almost ghostly, and it made McGee shiver.

He knocked softly and entered. "Hey Abs."

"Hey," she replied sharply, her eyes never leaving her screen.

McGee blinked. Was she upset with him?

"Abs? You okay?"

Abby had been edgy all day. Her emotions, and suppression thereof, had completely made her nerves raw. She had heard a doorbell ring earlier that afternoon and she screamed for whoever it was to leave her the hell alone, until she realized it came from the television. McGee calling every thrity minutes didn't seem to help either. At first, it was sweet...he was worried about her. After the fourth call, however, it got to be annoying. Her condition hadn't changed...well, it had, but she wasn't going to admit it to him. She had called Gibbs back that afternoon, desperately pleading (nearly demanding) that she be allowed to work on her laptop at her house. Gibbs gave in, sending some case files over via email.

She scoffed. "I am fine, McGee. I am not any less fine than I was when you called me ten minutes ago to see how I'm doing."

McGee was confused...and rightly so. "Um..." he said, trying to read her, "I noticed this afternoon that you needed some more food, so I went to the store for you."

She was so close to snapping. "Thank you," she said forcefully.

"Abs?" McGee said, moving to her bed and sitting down on the end. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she snapped. "I just wish you hadn't done that."

"Why?" McGee asked, getting annoyed. He thought he was being sweet. "I was just trying to help."

"Well dont!" Abby cried. "It's not like I couldn't go out and do it myself. I'm not an invalid!"

"Well, pardon me for being concerned!" McGee said hotly, standing up from her bed.

"Stop it!" Abby yelled back. "I am perfectly okay. There's is no reason to be concerned for me! Just stop it!"

"Fine!" McGee cried, turning away from her and walked toward her door. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

"Whatever," she muttered. McGee slammed the door behind him as he left.

The next day, McGee woke up early and left for NCIS before Abby's alarm went off. He didn't want to deal with her that morning, he was still too upset. What the hell was wrong with her? She was so wound up, and he couldn't understand why. Plus, it wasn't like_he_ completely cool with their new circumstances. _He_ was scared too, and it bothered him that Abby was downplaying the whole situation to the point of ignoring it. He knew that she was scared, she had to be. He just had to find out how to get her to open up to him about it.

Despite his early departure, he was still the last one of the team to arrive. This case was so complicated, everyone was pulling long, unpredictable hours.

"Hey Probie," Tony said as he passed. McGee said nothing.

"How's Abby?" Gibbs asked.

"She's fine," he replied bitterly.

"Tim? What's wrong?" Kate asked. His tone was so...un-Tim.

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied. "Abby's fine though, don't worry."

Abby woke up once again to her blaring alarm clock. Unbeknownst to McGee, Abby had called Gibbs the night before and nearly begged to come back to her lab and work from there. Gibbs agreed, knowing that she needed to get back to a normal routine. Hopefully she wouldn't have to face McGee all that much during the course of the day. She was still upset over their argument the night before, but mainly she felt guilty about it. It was her fault, really. She overreacted.

She quickly showered and dressed in her favorite goth outfit. Favorite equals comfortable...and she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. She went on autopilot for her morning activities, and soon she found herself walking through the open elevator doors into her beloved lab.

"Hi baby," she sighed a said to the room. "I'm back." She immediately went to her main computer, brought up her current project, and resumed her work.

A couple hours later, she heard the elevator door ding as it slid open. She froze and her breath caught in her throat. _Please, don't be McGee! Not him, not now. I can't face him._ She turned slowly and sighed in relief at who she saw walk in.

"Oh Abigail, you're back!"

"Hey Ducky."

He came over and hugged her tightly and she held onto him just as hard. She needed a hug. He pulled back and looked at her. "You gave us all quite a fright there sweetheart."

"I know, I'm sorry," she replied guiltily. "We're not through it yet though."

"Ah, yes, but everything will turn out okay," Ducky said, drawing her into another hug.

Once they parted, Abby asked rather nervously, "Does everyone know I am here?"

Ducky chuckled. "I doubt it. If they did, I'd imagine Caitlin would be down here hugging your neck and never letting go."

Abby laughed. "That's true."

"I have a young fellow in the morgue who's waiting on me, Abby," Ducky said. "I just came up to see you. You know you are to call me if you need anything."

"Yes, Ducky, thank you," she smiled, leaning in and giving him a peck on his cheek.

When he left, Abby turned back to her computer, feeling better. Ducky always had a way of doing that. He was her sweet surrogate grandfather who was always there for a great big hug and an encouraging word. She felt that, no matter what else happened to her that afternoon and evening, the memory of him and this moment would make it all better.

And for the first time in thirty-six hours...she genuinely smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

* * *

Abby sighed as she flopped onto her bed after a long Friday at NCIS. After Ducky left her, Gibbs had come down for a fatherly check-up, and to deliver several spent bullets for her to ID. It was too simple...those suckers were done in thirty minutes flat.

McGee had come down to her lab in the early evening..._**that**_ was an awkward moment. There was no longer any anger between them, just very palpable guilt. Like any other couple after a spat, they were civil but spoke as little as possible to each other. He asked if it was okay her Abby is he came over that night, and she agreed. McGee grabbed what it was he came down to the lab for and left. Literally two minutes after the elevator doors shut for McGee, they opened again and Tony and Kate came rushing in. Of course, as Ducky predicted, Kate threw her arms around Abby's neck and didn't let go for a good while.

Abby had gotten through the first day. Tomorrow was the beginning of the period of the utmost stress and anxiety as the results of her biopsy were to come in anytime within the next 48 hours. She looked at her clock. It was nine-thirty at night and McGee still wasn't there. She wasn't worried--the case they were working on was very tedious and difficult, so it wouldn't surprise her if Gibbs kept them at headquarters until dawn's early light.

She wished McGee was there, however. Abby really wanted to see him...to apologize for the night before. She rolled over, pulled the covers up to her chin, and she fell fast asleep.

* * *

It was almost 2:00am when McGee got to Abby's place. He took her spare key from the top of her doorway, opened her door and shut it quietly. He tiptoed toward her couch, preparing to fall on it and sleep instantly but froze when he heard a sudden groan in pain. McGee instinctively moved to draw his weapon, but cursed under his breath when he remembered that he left it in his desk. Gibbs would kill him. Instead, he grabbed a baseball bat he saw leaning against a wall. Why Abby possesed a baseball bat was beyond him, but it proved useful in this situation. Bat at the ready, McGee moved stealthily toward Abby's room. Her door was slightly ajar and soft light was streaming through. He peeked through the open space and immediately let his guard down and set the bat down on the floor.

Abby was awake, sitting up on the bed and leaning against the wall. Her knees were drawn tightly to her chest and she was visibly in pain.

"Abs?" McGee whispered, walking quickly into her room.

She looked up suddenly. "You're home late," she said, straining to hide the pain in her voice.

"Abby, what's wrong? Are you okay?" McGee asked, sitting down at the end of the bed and held onto her elbow.

"My stomach's just giving me a little trouble." Abby groaned as her side stabbed in pain again. "Oh 'little' my ass. It hurts like hell."

"I'll get you somethng to take," McGee said, moving to get up.

Stopping him, she said, "No. I took a Loritab about five minutes ago. It should kick in in a bit."

McGee climbed across the bed and sat next to her against the wall. He sat there rubbing and patting her knee soothingly as she continued to wince in pain for several minutes. She laid her head on his shoulder for comfort, and McGee would tuck away stray locks of hair as he whispered reassurance that she would be okay. Slowly, but surely, he pain ebbed away and her breathing normalized.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "That Loritab's some damn good stuff."

They sat there silently for several minutes, Abby's head still resting on McGee's shoulder, his head on hers. Her thoughts drifted back and she began to relive the past 36 hours. She remembered that day in her lab when her side nearly exploded. She remembered the seemingly unbearable pain...not only from her side, but from seeing the look of sheer terror in McGee's face. She remembered the hospital room, feeling happy yet still a touch nervous, and then the gut wrenching, helpless despair when she learned her fate. The looks of sadness and depression in her friends faces...the hopeless feeling Abby had been going through...her fight with McGee. Poor McGee, he didn't deserve that. He had stayed by her side through this entire ordeal and that was how she repaid him? Everything came flooding back to her, like a constant barrage of home movies. Her eyes welled with tears as the flashbacks drew on. All of the stress from her emotional pain and repression suddenly came to a head and Abby no longer could control herself...a small sob escaped her lips.

McGee quickly snapped his head up and looked down at her. He saw the tears in her eyes and the trails on her cheeks and he too teary-eyed. "Abby..."

She snapped...the flood gates opened. Abby completely broke down into deep sobs, putting her face in her hands. McGee instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling him into his chest. She cried and cried, releasing all the emotion she had kept back this whole time. McGee petted her hair, tears streaming down his face, and held her tighter when her sobbing intensified.

"I'm so sorry, McGee," Abby cried thickly from his shoulder. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered. "Don't worry about it."

"I shouldn't have pushed you away. I wish I could have let myself go to you."

Pulling back slightly to look into her eyes, McGee said, "Why_didn't_ you come to me? Or Gibbs, Tony, or Kate?"

Abby wiped her face. "Remember how completely scared and depressed you guys were when we were in the hospital? That's when I was so upset. But when I talked to you guys yesterday when I was pretending everything was okay, you guys sounded like normal. Like you were happy. I just," Abby sniffed, "I just wanted to be optimistic. I didn't want you guys to think I was going downhill if I was acting all upset over it."

McGee sighed and cupped her face in his hands. "You shouldn't have had to face this alone."

Abby dissolved into tears once more and fell foward into McGee, clinging to him for dear life. "I'm so scared. I've never been this scared before in my life."

Petting her hair, McGee answered, "I know Abs, I know. I am too."

"Tim," Abby choked. "I'm going to die."

McGee instantly tightened his embrace. "No, Abby," he said forcefully. "You are _not_ going to die. Just because you're stopping being optimistic doesn't mean you have go to straight to 'pessimistic' You are going to be okay.

"I can't do this without you," Abby whispered, her head resting on his tear-soaked shoulder.

"You wont have to." McGee replied. "No matter what happens, I'm going to stay with you. You will always have me here."

Abby gave a tearful, shaky sigh. McGee glanced at her clock. "C'mon Abs, it's late, let's get you into bed."

Abby did resist, she was exhausted. She leaned back, lying on the bed, and McGee laid down next to her, drawing to covers up.  
Abby snuggled herself right into McGee's side and he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"You go on to sleep now. I'll be right here," McGee whispered, kissing her temple. "We've got a long day tomorrow."

Abby closed her eyes, and was no longer afraid to fall asleep. Her terrified soul had been cleansed, and McGee was by her side. Nothing could hurt her while he was there...nothing.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See chapter one...

A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry it took a while. This one is a bit longer to make up formy semi-short chapter five, lol. Enjoy!

* * *

Abby slowly stirred awake at seven-thirty that morning, emotionally drained. She felt arms around her waist and she tilted her head to see McGee sleeping soundly beside her. Smiling to herself, she gently pulled away from his grasp and climbed out of bed. Undisturbed, McGee simply rolled over and continued to sleep. Abby sniffed thickly, her head was locked up from all the crying she had done. She went straight into her kitchen and popped a couple sinus pills. She turned back and walked to her bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way. She needed a hot shower, and was greatly looking forward to one.

Fifteen minutes later, Abby left the steamy bathroom, soaking wet, and wrapped in a dark red bath robe. She walked quietly into her room and chuckled to herself when she saw McGee still sound asleep, snoring softly. Deciding not to risk waking him, she grabbed the clothes she intended to wear and left to change in another room.

Fully dressed and made up, Abby heard a cell phone ring as she walked down hallway. It was coming from her living room and it didn't sound like hers. It must have been McGee's. She followed the sound and bounded forward when she saw it on her end table.

She flipped it open and said jokingly, "Super Special Agent, Timothy Maxwell McGee's phone."

She heard a soft chuckle on the other end. "Morning Abs," Gibbs said. "McGee's middle name is not 'Maxwell', you know."

"I know, but isn't 'Maxwell' a cool name? I think it fits him," Abby replied, grinning. "What's up Gibbs?"

"You two need to get down here ASAP," Gibbs said. "We've hit a break and we need everyone here now."

"Right, Gibbs, I'll get him up. We'll be there soon."

"How are you feeling Abs?" Gibbs asked.

Abby sighed. She was open with McGee, she might as well be open with everyone else. "I'm okay Gibbs...scared, but okay."

"I know you are, we all are too. Get McGee up and you two get down here."

"Yes, sir," Abby replied.

"Abby...don't call me 'sir'," Gibbs said, then he hung up the phone.

Giggling, Abby closed McGee's phone then rushed up to her bedroom. Aww, poor McGee, he looked so peaceful, she hated to have to do this.

"McGee?" she called gently. He didn't stir. "McGee?" she called louder. Still, no response. He just mumbled slightly and rolled over, facing her. Abby bent down quickly and grabbed up a couple of her socks that were lying on the floor. She wadded them up into a big ball.

"McGee!" she yelled, throwing the socks at him. Perfect hit...right in the face!

He startled awake and groaned, "What?"

"Get up. Gibbs just called, he needs us there as soon as possible," Abby explained.

McGee groaned sleepily and climbed out of the bed, still in his clothes from the day and night before.

Looking down at himself, he asked, "You still have some of my clothes here?"

"Yep, bottom drawer," he heard Abby say from the hallway. She returned carrying a towel, which she tossed to him. "Here. Shower and change and I'll have breakfast ready when you get out."

McGee was in and out of the shower and dressed in less than five minutes. He had learned to do his usual activites in a breakneck pace once he joined NCIS, and it's proven handy on several occasions. McGee rushed down the hall past the kitchen when he was pelted in the chest with what look like a silver streak that was thrown with a good amount of force.

He looked down at what hit him and recognized it. "Pop Tarts?" he questioned. "This is breakfast to you?"

Abby looked insulted. "Yes. Plus, it's the only stuff I can make in five minutes time. Now, come on, you'll eat it in the car, we need to go." She grabbed her lunch box on the counter and walked toward the door.

McGee chuckled. "First, you hit me in the face with your dirty socks, then you throw Pop Tarts at me." McGee said sarcastically, grinning broadly. "'Only stuff you can make', you just pull them out of the box Abs."

"Come on Timmy!" Abby cried playfully, pushing him out of the door and closing it behind them.

* * *

As Abby and McGee approached the elevator at NCIS Headquarters, McGee's cell phone rang once more.

When McGee opened his phone, he didn't have a chance to answer before he heard Gibbs yell, "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm two floors above you," McGee quickly replied. "I'll be down in two minutes."

He shut the phone and looked at Abby, who was trying to stifle her laughter. "Ooooh...Timmy's in trouble!" she said, like she was back on the elementary school playground.

"Oh, shut up," McGee said laughingly.

Abby stuck out her tongue at him and he reciprocated, as they had done so many times before. The elevator dinged open, and the two entered. When the doors shut behind them, McGee took hold of Abby's hand. He bent down toward her and they shared a soft, loving kiss. When the elevator slowed to a stop they had to separate, much to both party's displeasure.

"I'll be down to see you sometime today," McGee whispered.

"You better," Abby replied. McGee departed the elevator, leaving Abby to travel down two more floors to her lab.

He wasn't five feet into the bullpen when Gibbs barked, "McGee, our guy just contacted us. I need a trace on his cell phone!"

"On it Boss." Finally, a break in the case from hell. McGee quickly sat down at his desk and worked furiously at his computer.

Abby exited the elevator with a little giddy bounce in her step. she felt so relieved after her breakdown to McGee. However cliche it sounded, Abby felt that massive weight of burden lift off her shoulders. Despite her happier mood, there was still that little twinge of nervousness within her. Like there was one solitary butterfly moving about in the pit of her stomach. She knew that any minute either her cell phone or the phone in her lab could ring and her doctor would be on the other end, delivering her fate. And yet...it didn't terrify her as much as it did the day before.

She grinned and chuckled out loud when she walked up to a large cup of Caf-Pow sitting on her worktable. It had a small note attached to it, and she bend over to look at it.

"_Normalcy is the necessity of chaos_," she read aloud. "_Hope this helps you feel better._"

"Aww, Gibbs," Abby whispered to herself, then taking a long drink from the straw. It _did_ help...her caffiene addiction could continue.

She had only a few items on her to-do list to catch up on her once-massive workload. She grabbed what she needed and set to work immediately. Thirty minutes later, Abby skipped over to the printer and removed the results from her latest lab test...her final lab test.

She placed the paper inside a folder, then cried joyfully, "I'm done!"

"Not yet Abs." She spun around to see Gibbs and McGee walking toward her. "I need one more thing."

"And that would be, _mon capitan_?" Abby asked.

"I need an exact pinpoint location for this bastard," Gibbs said. "McGee's got what you need."

With that, McGee showed Abby the generalized location he derived from the cell phone trace. They both then fed and crunched numbers furiously on her computer, narrowing their search radius a little more each time, until finally...

"Got it, Gibbs!" Abby cried as alert signals flashed on the computer monitor.

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked, pulling out his cell phone and dialing.

"He is in the fourth quadrant of the harbor, storage unit six," McGee replied.

"Good work guys," Gibbs said, then into the phone he said, "Dinozzo, get the car ready, we're going to the harbor." He turned back to Abby. "I need you to upload the map on Tony's PDA."

"Done and done, Gibbs," Abby replied, finishing typing the computer sequence.

"Let's go McGee," Gibbs said, rushing toward to elevator.

"Be careful," Abby whispered to McGee as he left.

"I will," he replied.

"Go get 'im boys!" Abby called to their retreating backs.

* * *

Since Abby was no longer bound to her lab by impending lab reports, she had gone down to the morgue to hang out with Ducky and Jimmy, who were also at an impass in their duties. They both inquired as to how she was feeling, and that they knew that things were going to turn out okay. While waiting for Gibbs and the team to return, they shared stories and anecdotes about themselves and life in general. Ducky went off on one particularly long tangent while Abby and Jimmy just smiled and nodded as they listened, then giggled silently when his back was turned.

Several hours later, right at the moment when Abby was beginning to worry about them, her cell phone rang. She reached for it, then stopped suddenly, a cold wave sweeping over her.

Seeing this, Jimmy asked, "Abby? You okay?"

"This could be the hospital," Abby replied, somewhat shakily. Ducky immediately went to her grasped her hand, while Jimmy did the same to her shoulder.

She looked at her caller ID and breathed a sigh of relief when she read the name. "It's McGee," she said, opening her phone. Ducky and Jimmy both sighed gratefully and stepped away to give Abby some privacy with her call.

"Did you get him McGee?" Abby asked.

"In a sense," he replied.

"How do you mean?"

"Gibbs shot him. He opened fire on us, so we shot back," McGee replied.

"Are you okay? Are all of you okay?" Abby asked immediately.

"We're fine Abs. We're heading back to NCIS now."

"All right, see you in a bit."

When she hung up, she shuddered lightly. She looked up at Ducky and Jimmy and said, "I guess I'm more scared about these test results that I thought I was."

She left her friends in the morgue to meet the team as they came back to the squadroom. She walked over and sat down in Gibbs' chair, knowing full well he wouldn't yell at her for doing so, and spun around in it.

"This is a good chair," she said aloud to herself. "I doubt Gibbs knows the fun on spinning in a desk chair."

She heard the elevator door ding and she watched as Gibbs, Kate, Tony, and McGee trudge out. Gibbs spied Abby and smiled. Smiling back, she stood and allowed Gibbs to sit in his own chair. She walked over and stood beside McGee.

"I could use a beer," Tony said, falling heavily into his chair.

"Me too," Kate replied.

"This case has been absolute hell," McGee groaned. "A beer would be the minimum consolation."

"I wouldn't turn one down," Gibbs said.

"And I've been wanting one since Thursday," Abby said. "Do I take it we're going bar hopping tonight?"

"Sounds that way to me," Gibbs replied. "Abs, do you have anything else to do downstairs?" Abby shook her head. "Okay, then go home and rest a while. We've got to write up our reports, then we'll go out this afternoon."

"I'm at McGee's mercy for a ride, so I'll just be down in my office resting," Abby replied.

"I'll call you when we're leaving," McGee said.

"Works for me. See you guys later." Abby walked to the elevator, and after waiting several minutes for it to reach their floor, she stepped on.

Once inside her lab, Abby shut herself into her office. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and started to turn it off for a little peace and quiet. She stopped, remembering that McGee was going to call her...and that the hospital could call at anytime. The lone butterfly was back in her stomach...but now some of his friends had joined the party. Abby slowly walked to her CD player on her desk and turned it on. She smiled as the music played and at the memories it brought back. Evanescence--the only group that she and McGee could agree on. It had the hard, driving tunes she loved, and McGee could actually understand what they were saying. It was the perfect compromise.

She laid out on the small couch she had in her office and placed her cell phone on her stomach, which she had put on vibrate. She felt her eyes get heavy, and soon she fell into a light sleep.

Ninety minutes later, she stirred when she felt her belly buzzing and she lifted her head sleepily. Realizing that it was her cell phone ringing, she nervously checked the caller ID. It was McGee...she sighed once more.

"Get a grip Sciuto," she scolded herself before answering the phone. "Hey McGee."

"Hey Abby, did I wake you?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Sorry," he said sincerely.

"Did you call to tell me that we're leaving for the bar?" she asked, smiling.

"Yes..."

"Then you have_nothing_ to be sorry for," Abby laughed. "I'll be right up."

She jumped off her couch, stuffed her cell phone into her back pocket, and shut off her still rocking CD player. She grabbed her stuff and rushed to the elevator to meet the group up in the bullpen.

* * *

After much heated deliberation on whether to stick with their traditional bar hangout or to try a new one, they all found themselves at their usual bar just a few streets down from the navy yard._Everybody_ was there...including Ducky and Jimmy. Everyone had worked themselves nearly to death on this case, so everyone was there to wind down. Abby and McGee entered hand-in-hand amongst the group and, after spotting an open table large enough to accomidate them all, the group sat down.

A young woman carrying a tray came to the table and took their orders. Beers all around...of all different brands. Gibbs got a Bud; Tony, a Heineken; Kate, a Coors Light; McGee and Abby both got a Sam Adams; Jimmy, a Miller; and Ducky ordered a British lager of a brand no one at the table knew.

They sat there for hours, just drinking together, laughing together, and trying to de-stress themselves. Abby had joined into the conversations adamantly all night, forgetting about all her troubles...her pain, her worries, everything. All that mattered to her at this particular moment in time was that she was sitting with the man that she loved and with the group of people she called her family, having the time of her life.

This night, as all Saturday nights were at that local bar, was karaoke night. The makeshift MC of all karaoke activities took a microphone and announced that those who wanted to participate needed only to write their name and the song they were singing on a piece of paper.

Tony looked over at Gibbs' seat...he had left momentarily for the bathroom...then around to the group. "Hey guys," he said with a slight, but noticeable, slur. "We should get Gibbs to sing something. He would be the hit of the bar. Abs, get a napkin and sign him up for 'Natural Woman' or something like that. Ow!"

Tony's head shot forward as Gibbs, who was walking up behind Tony and had heard the whole thing, smacked the back of it. "Over your dead body, DiNozzo."

"Don't you mean, 'over_my_ dead body', Boss?" Tony asked.

"No Tony," Gibbs said, moving to within an inch of Tony's nose. "_Yours._"

They continued their night with another round and watching the poor drunken fools singing onstage. Every now and then, they'd get a sober one with a decent voice, but mainly they heard completely smashed people wailing hilariously into the microphone. They particuarly enjoyed the version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' sung by four equally drunk men. Gibbs even joined in with everyone at the table singing along.

"You know this song, Jethro?" Ducky called from across the table. He was the only one at the table who was unfamiliar with it.

"Everyone knows this song Duck," Gibbs called back, smiling. "It's Queen."

"You know," Tony said, "this reminds me of that movie 'Wayne's World' when they're all in the car and they start singing this song. That must be how you know this one, Boss."

"Yeah,_that's_ it," Gibbs said sarcastically.

Abby sat there, holding McGee's hand with her head on his shoulder, watching and enjoying her friend's company. She felt happy and content for the first time in days. McGee looked over at her and was grateful that he was able to see her smiling like that again. Abby startled suddenly when she felt her butt start to vibrate. She pulled out her cell phone and read the number...she didn't recognize it.

Glad that the karaoke fun had taken a short break, Abby opened her phone and said, "Abby Sciuto."

"Miss Sciuto, this is Dr. Henderson, we have your biospy results."

Her eyes widened and her stomach plummeted as she pulled the phone away from her face and covered the receiver. "It's the hospital!" She cried. All seven heads snapped up and stared intently at her, McGee tightening his grasp of her hand.

McGee watched her bring the phone back to her ear and tell the doctor to go on. She gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth and he felt his heart break when he saw her eyes mist over.

"Oh, God," McGee whispered. "No..."

"Y-yes doctor," Abby said shakily. "I'll, uh...I'll be there tomorrow afternoon." She closed her phone, placed it on the table, in utter shock.

McGee placed his other hand on her shoulder. "Abby?"

"What is it Abs?" Tony said.

"What'd he say?" Kate added.

"Abby, tell us." Gibbs looked fearful.

Abby looked around at every single face at the table. She exhaled sharply and her face split in a large grin. "It's benign!" she said with a small joyful sob. "I'm okay!"

To be continued...

A/N: Y'all have no idea how long it took me to decide whether to be EVIL with a potential cliffhanger, but I decided to be nice, lol. Once more chapter to go, and I promise I'll get this one done as fast as possible. )


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: See previous chapter...which will tell you to go see chapter one.

A/N: It's done! This chapter took longer than I thought it would...Abby and McGee were mean and didn't do what I wanted them to do, lol. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, they have made me smile in a time in my life where I definitely needed to. And a special thanks to **hotchner** who gave me this idea!

* * *

_ONE MONTH LATER..._

Abby slowly awakened on a Monday morning to her alarm clock blaring once more. She rolled over, shut it off, and sighed happily. Today was the day...she was finally going back to work.

After that night at the bar, Abby was floating on air. She was okay...she wasn't going to die. She had gone to see Dr. Henderson that following Monday and he had prescribed a medication that would dissolve the tumor. He didn't want to risk surgery and losing any part of her lower intestine.

The medication worked perfectly. However, as in all drugs, there were side effects. The dissolving tumor caused significant discomfort in her side (like Abby wasn't used to that), and the drugs triggered nausea and, for the first time in Abby's life, migranes.

So, long story short, because of the side effects she had experienced, the general concept of recovery, and because Gibbs is...well, _Gibbs_...Abby had been put on temporary medical leave from NCIS. Even though she was on leave, Abby had twisted McGee's arm on a couple occasions to send her some office work to keep her occupied.

After seeing Dr. Henderson three days earlier, Abby was given the green light to go back to work. Her tumor had almost completely dissolved, and it was predicted that she need only one more week of treatment before it was gone entirely. She was no longer experiencing the extreme side effects so she was right as rain to return to her daily routine...one that she missed terribly.

She quickly showered and dressed, then went into the kitchen and grabbed a pack of Pop Tarts. No matter what McGee said, this was the breakfast of champions. Abby then grabbed her cell phone along with her purse and called McGee as she went out the door to tell him she was leaving.

Twenty minutes later, Abby was standing in the NCIS elevator, bouncing excitedly on her heels. She planned on doing this grand entrance in the squadroom, she had it all worked out and well-rehearsed.

The elevator doors opened with a ding and Abby burst through, her face then falling when she saw that no one was there. She checked her watch...there was no way in hell she was there earlier than everyone else, especially Gibbs.

"Hello?" Abby called. No answer. Furrowing her eyebrows, she said outloud, "They must have gotten a call to a crime scene."

Shrugging it off, Abby got back onto the elevator, and pushed the button to her lab's floor. Her ears perked as she traveled down the elevator shaft. She heard something...music. _Her_ music. Had McGee been playing her death metal while she was gone?

The elevator door stopped on her floor, opened up, and Abby gasped. Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Kate, Ducky, and Jimmy were all standing around her main workstation, smiling wide. Each one was holding a small, brightly colored cupcake; and a metallic, store-bought banner was hung above them reading "WELCOME HOME!".

Abby giggled and smiled warmly. These were truely the best bunch of people_anyone_ could hope to work with and have a part in their lives.

"What's the occasion?" Abby asked playfully, walking toward them.

"Ah, nothing too important," Gibbs replied with a wry smirk.

Abby faked an indignant huff, elicting a chuckle from Gibbs. He put down the cupcake and drew her into a tight embrace, which she reciprocated with just as much fervor. Once they parted, that was the sign for everyone else to lunge forward to see who could hug her next. Tony got in first, picking her up and twirling her around. After he set her down, the scene turned into a blur of arms, bodies, and big group hugs. They all chatted for thirty minutes or so before Gibbs had to break up their little shindig.

"All right, guys...time to get back up there. Abby," he said, leaning in and kissing her forhead, "welcome back. Now, get to work."

Abby laughed and nodded. Several more quick hugs and pecks on the cheek were given to Abby before they all followed Gibbs out ...McGee, however, lagged behind. Turning around once inside the elevator, Gibbs saw McGee purposefully walking slower, hoping to "miss" the elevator.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked. McGee startled then began to walk faster, though clearly not wanting to leave just yet. Gibbs' face softened slightly. "Take your time, McGee. Besides, this car is pretty much full."

McGee smiled a quick and sincere "thank you" then watched as the elevator doors shut. He turned around slowly to see Abby with her back to him, most likely munching on a cupcake.

"Abby," he said as he walked toward her. She turned quickly and McGee could help but chuckle.

"What?" she said, puzzled.

"Your face," McGee replied, still laughing.

Abby turned and rushed to her mirror she kept in her office. She laughed herself at what she saw. Her lips and chin were caked with flourescent pink icing. She then groaned, realizing what the actual color was, and grabbed a Kleenexwipe it off as fast as possible.

"You look good in pink," McGee said, still chuckling as he followed her into her office.

"Oh, shut up Tim," Abby joked, throwing away the now pink tissue. She turned to face him. "Am I still pink?"

"A little bit," he replied, stepping closer.

"Ah, damn," she muttered, reaching for another tissue.

McGee stayed her hand. "Here, let me," he said. He leaned in, raising her head up slightly, and kissed her softly. She kissed him back, snaking her arms around his neck. They broke apart and she tightened her hold of his neck and they embraced.

Abby held on for dear life. She knew how close she came to leaving him. She could feel McGee's tightening hold, his petting her hair at the back of her neck, and Abby could tell that he knew too.

"I don't know what I would have done," McGee whispered.

Blinking back tears, Abby pulled back slightly to where their noses were mere inches apart. "You don't have to worry, Tim. You're stuck with me."

"Thank God," he said, touching her cheek.

Abby sighed. "I'm sorry for being such an uber bitch when all this was happening, I was stupid, I was just trying..."

"Shh," McGee interrupted. "I know why you did, we all do. Don't worry about it. I hope you know to talk to me about anything and everything that you need to. I'm always going to be here."

"I know Timmy, and I am so grateful," Abby smiled. "We've got a good thing going on...you know, with us."

McGee smiled and nodded. "We sure do." They shared one more long kiss, letting actions convey their feeling rather than words.

What seemed like an eternity later, Abby broke away and whispered, "You better get back up there before Gibbs gets pissed."

McGee sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess so. I'll be down later on today."

"Promise?"

McGee answered with a quick but soft kiss. "Promise."

Abby watched as her McGee turned and walked to the elevator. Once he entered it and it shut its doors, Abby sat down at her computer and sighed contently. Life was good. She had her job back, a wonderful guy whom she cared for very deeply, and most importantly, her health. She took another bite from the cupcake she was munching on earlier and smiled, grateful to be back to her abnormal, no-so-ordinary life. A life she wouldn't want to have any other way.

THE END

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A/N: And there it is! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and I hope you enjoyed it!


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